Imitating others has long been seen as a useful way to explore the world, but imitation could also make monkeys popular, a study has found.

Experts examining the habits of capuchins have discovered the monkeys build closer bonds with human playmates who mimic their behaviour than with those who do not.

In the study some monkeys were exposed to researchers who imitated their behaviour with a small ball; others were paired with researchers whose actions did not.

Follow-up experiments confirmed it was the act of imitation that gained the capuchin monkeys' friendship, not attention or familiarity.

"After the imitation sequence, the monkeys consistently spent more time near the investigator who imitated them than with the investigator who did not," the researchers say.

Monkey-see, monkey-do: Mimics attract more friends, say researchers (Source: Elisabetta Visalberghi)

Human behaviour
And the same may be true for humans, according to the group's findings, published in the journal Science.

"Human beings prefer the behaviour of other people who subtly imitate their behaviour and other affects," says Dr Duane Alexander, a senior expert at the US National Institutes of Health, where part of the study was carried out.

Humans often assume the body postures, mannerisms or gestures of people they meet. Although neither party tends to be aware of the imitation, it promotes social links, the researchers found.

It is hoped the findings "may lead to insights into disorders in which imitation and bonding is impaired such as certain forms of autism," says Alexander.